Jakarta (ANTARA) – Indonesia’s Coordinating Ministry for Food Affairs is drafting a ministerial regulation to strengthen local raw material supply chains for the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) program, aiming to ensure reliable food supplies and smooth implementation.Deputy for Food Affordability and Security Coordination Nani Hendiarti said the regulation fulfills the ministry’s mandate to coordinate agencies in securing supply chains supporting the MBG program.“Without food ingredients, the program cannot run, and we expect supplies to be sourced locally,” she said at the 2026 national summit of Association of Indonesian Free Nutritious Meals Kitchen Operators and Managers in Jakarta on Sunday.She said using local supply chains—through village cooperatives, MSMEs, village enterprises, livestock farmers, fishing cooperatives and traders—could cut logistics costs and extend raw materials’ shelf life.Her office is urging Nutritional Fulfillment Service Units (SPPG), local governments and stakeholders to build sustainable regional food supply ecosystems to support the program.In addition to the regulation, she said the government is developing pilot projects, technical guidelines and rules by the National Nutrition Agency to support these supply chain ecosystems.However, she said not all regions can rely on local sourcing soon, especially underdeveloped, frontier and outermost areas, which will receive additional funding support.Presidential Regulation No. 115 of 2025 mandates the ministry to coordinate the Agriculture, Marine Affairs and Fisheries, Trade ministries and the National Food Agency in implementing the MBG program.Key coordination areas include boosting production capacity, ensuring food availability and affordability, and improving access to food price information..